how would you guys handle this? just had a Pegasus shower valve installed.

a plumber just spent 8 hours replacing my shower valve which was behind a fiberglass wall and drywall. no smitty plate. i called a bunch of plumbers and even had some come over to tell me if they could do the job without a smitty plate (because it looks ugly). finally found one, but when he was done, i pointed out how the lever and also the spout was sticking out an inch instead of being flush against the base plate, as pictured on the shower faucet packaging. he said (a) it was a really difficult job (which it was, hence why all the other plumbers declined the job without using a smitty plate) and (b) he followed the specifications provided by the manufacturer's installation instructions. i told him that "a" is irrelevant because he gave me the expectation that he can do the job and he didn't meet that expectation. "b" is arguable, but do you think if the manufacturer did indeed provide inaccurate specifications, is it the plumber's job to know this to guarantee a reasonably accurate job? the lever and spout both stick out an inch and looks TOTALLY undone...i mean, there's an inch of piping and threading exposed between the base plate and the spout!

i still paid him the $760 for his time and i asked him to come back to fix the lever and spout. when he comes back (i'm assuming this will undoubted be extra time i will pay him for since he thinks he didn't do anything wrong), i told him i will take pictures and measurements to show home depot that the specifications provided were faulty and cost me extra time and money. the shower valve and faucet is made by home depot's brand, pegasus, and yes, i know it's the highest quality brand.

(Nearly) all valves have a min/max value that will still allow the trim to fit, and the handle still work. If it works, it is likely within the manufacturer's specifications. The range can be over an inch, and personally, I prefer it to be closer to the wall, but given there was little to any room to work, sounds like it is in the wall and working within the specs...if you wanted it in a specific place, it would have had to have been stated before the work was done as it sounds like it is okay. It may be impossible to move back without cutting a bigger hole, which you specifically didn't want. Sounds like he did a good job given the circumstances.

(Nearly) all valves have a min/max value that will still allow the trim to fit, and the handle still work. If it works, it is likely within the manufacturer's specifications. The range can be over an inch, and personally, I prefer it to be closer to the wall, but given there was little to any room to work, sounds like it is in the wall and working within the specs...if you wanted it in a specific place, it would have had to have been stated before the work was done as it sounds like it is okay. It may be impossible to move back without cutting a bigger hole, which you specifically didn't want. Sounds like he did a good job given the circumstances.

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I agree...

However the exposed pipe on the spout and the spout being an inch away from the wall is another matter and should be corrected free of charge.

a plumber just spent 8 hours replacing my shower valve which was behind a fiberglass wall and drywall. no smitty plate. i called a bunch of plumbers and even had some come over to tell me if they could do the job without a smitty plate (because it looks ugly). finally found one, but when he was done, i pointed out how the lever and also the spout was sticking out an inch instead of being flush against the base plate, as pictured on the shower faucet packaging. he said (a) it was a really difficult job (which it was, hence why all the other plumbers declined the job without using a smitty plate) and (b) he followed the specifications provided by the manufacturer's installation instructions. i told him that "a" is irrelevant because he gave me the expectation that he can do the job and he didn't meet that expectation. "b" is arguable, but do you think if the manufacturer did indeed provide inaccurate specifications, is it the plumber's job to know this to guarantee a reasonably accurate job? the lever and spout both stick out an inch and looks TOTALLY undone...i mean, there's an inch of piping and threading exposed between the base plate and the spout!

i still paid him the $760 for his time and i asked him to come back to fix the lever and spout. when he comes back (i'm assuming this will undoubted be extra time i will pay him for since he thinks he didn't do anything wrong), i told him i will take pictures and measurements to show home depot that the specifications provided were faulty and cost me extra time and money. the shower valve and faucet is made by home depot's brand, pegasus, and yes, i know it's the highest quality brand.

what do you think? any advice?

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Can't go any further with this thread till you post pics of the situation, and the picture of this box you're speaking of.

The picture on the box was a designer's idea of how it would LOOK nice, (without actually being installed), not necessarily how it would look in your shower. In fact the MAJORITY of installations do not look like the box, because plumbers know that if they tried to make it look like that, carpenters, sheetrocker, and tile men would conspire to make it impossible to put the handles and stuff on it afterwards and then SOMEONE would have to find out if the manufacturer made an extension kit, (not all do), so it could be assembled, and after that was done it would look EXACTLY likr yours does with the handle farther from the plate than the picture. Besides that, since he was working through the hole in the wall, he may have had to use the existing locations for the water connections which would have LIMITED how he positioned the faucet relative to the finished surface. There is only so much that can be done when using the existing piping and having limited access. You will not find much sympathy for your claim that he did not position the valve properly, as long as it was within the minimum/maximum points established BY THE MANUFACTURER. Spout/diverter location is something else and there is no reason that cannot be done properly. Using the words Pegasus, or Glacier Bay, and "high quality" in the same sentence is either an oxymoron or impossible. But as an aside, if I were working through the wall opening, I probably would not let you provide the valve unless I first determined that it could be directly connected to the copper tubing without using pipe adapters. Most of the Home Depot, and similar, stores do not sell that type of valve.

The inch of the sleeve being exposed is normal. As for the tub spout he should be able to make the right adjustments needed to get the spout flush with the wall. If its a slip spout thats held on with a set screw over copper pipe he just needs to trim down the copper. If its a threaded spout he can remove the male adapter and use a slip spout in its place, or get an adjustable threaded spout. which will adjust to the Lean of the pipe coming out of the wall.

The handle can be tight to the plate, or 2", or more, away from it depending on how much latitude the manufacturer builds into the valve. The problem is when customers think that the way the valve is shown on the display board, or box's picture, is the ONLY way it should be installed, not realizing that those are just designer's concepts, (the valve is not even installed for those pictures, merely bolted to a piece of board), and have little application to the real world.

I don't understand the bashing of the Pegasus faucet. I've used them many times, including my own home, and I never had a complaint. Just because someone says they're a plumber, doesn't mean they know what they are doing. I just installed a Pegasus shower faucet in my cultured marble shower. Everything worked great. Depending on the thickness of your drywall/ fiberglass/ tile or whatever, you will have to consider what the black plastic base is going to go up against. In my case, the (plastic) marble is about 3/8" thick, so I removed a circle of drywall, and the base of my handle is about 1/2" from the round plate. The installation looks real clean. No problem. If you are also referring to the showerhead sticking out, the installer has to obtain the correct length close nipple. In my case, it was a 2".

In cases where you are replacing an existing unit with a new unit, the installer may have to get imaginitive to get thigs right. For example, I had to cut out the drywall behind the shower. Oh well, that is what remodeling is. It isn't rocket science. I had to use a dremel with a flexible end and a side cut drill bit to get everything to fit. Here is where, if the guy just really doesn't know what he's doing, you will end up with a crap job. It doesn't matter if you paid $200 or $2000 dollars for the fixture.